


Attack Online

by ReaderWriterPoet



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Crossover, Don't you love my tags!?, Eren Is a Little Shit, Eren Yeager Has Heterochromia Iridum, Eren and Levi are Kirito and Asuna, Eren is a lucky bastard who just happened to become a beta tester, Eren is mostly Kirito, Friendship, Gamer Eren Yeager, Gamer Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), He becomes Levi Heichou throughout the game, Humor, Inappropriate Humor, Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin) Is A Little Shit, Levi is a famous gamer so Eren knows who he is at first sight, Levi is mostly Asuna, Levi starts as Levi before Scouting Legion, Levi/Eren Yeager-centric, M/M, Medium Burn, Mikasa is only briefly in here, Mild Sexual Content, Multiple Pairings, POV Eren Yeager, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, but the dialouge backgrounds and etc of kirito and asuna will be shuffled between them, canon compliant death, character replacement, eren is a fanboy, if she were playing the game would be over too quickly, let there be filler, maybe there will be titans?, more tags will be added, mostly minor characters though don't stress, or maybe, plus Mikasa would never let Eren and Levi have quality time together, sorry she is too much of a badass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2020-03-10 01:57:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18928969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReaderWriterPoet/pseuds/ReaderWriterPoet
Summary: A Sword Art Online story with Attack on Titan characters. Eren and Armin log in with Mikasa on day one of the Sword Art Online launch. With Mikasa logging out before Kayaba locks down the game, Eren and Armin are left to fend for themselves. Eren as a beta tester, vows to protect his friend Armin and finish the game to return to the real world. Levi a gamer with a small underground following quickly becomes one of the highest ranked players in SAO, a founding member of the Scouting Legion, sworn to push forward and clear the game.





	1. Town of Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Sword Art Online](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1009817) by [erentitanjaeger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/erentitanjaeger/pseuds/erentitanjaeger). 



> Some characters will be partial or even full replacements of original SAO characters. Sorry if I take out any of your favorites. I'm not sure of the extent yet but there will be no Kirito or Asuna except maybe as an Easter Egg. I look forward for you being on this journey with me!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren picks apples. Armin is a worrier. Mikasa has homework.

Eren breathed in the smell of the lush grass wet from an afternoon rainstorm, the light breeze that caressed his face caused him to shiver as his avatar adjusted to the sensations the simulation presented to him. He curled his toes in his standard boots, flexed his fingers in his gloves as he stretched to the sky and arched his back before bending at the knees and testing the height he could jump. His fingers grazed the lowest bough of a fruit laden tree causing a few leaves to shake free and a fruit or two to dangle precariously from its stem before stilling. He grinned and jumped higher, picking the closest fruit, an update appearing before him.

_Congrats on obtaining (1) Honeygourd Fruit!_   
_Achievement unlocked Harvester Level One!_   
_Please see Achievements Log for more details!_

‘Huh, that’s handy,’ Eren thought as he polished the apple on his shirt. Not hungry as of yet, he placed the fruit within his inventory before returning his attention to the landscape before him. A tinkling sound of the tree above him respawning the fruit he had just plucked faded into the background as he looked up at the floating vision above him…

_Aincrad Castle. 100 floors, 100 bosses, and over 1,000 quests and side quests, and that’s just the ones that they announced. It’ll take years for players to finish!_

Eren grinned and breathed deeply.

_'And I’m going to be the first one to do it!'_

 

_Day One: November 6, 2022_

Eren walked through the **Bazaar** at the **Town of Beginnings** , heading to the town square with purpose, his sights set on the bell tower and the people he was supposed to meet there. His best friend Armin and his adopted sister Mikasa had both promised that they would meet there as soon as they logged on. To make it easier for their avatars to recognize each other, they had promised to create accurate characters, holding off on the customization for later. The Nerve Gear was already trippy without factoring in hearing your best friends voice come out of another body.

The only thing Eren had changed was his eyes, it was impossible to recreate the intense color that came from the blue and green combination of his irises. Many people found his stare off putting, whether it was directed at them or not, so he opted to stick with a simple green color without altering the intensity. Who cares anyway how accurate it was? He had kept everything else fairly accurate- from his height paired with his lean body and broad shoulders, his short cut brown hair, to the bronze of his skin that never seemed to leave him even in winter.

As he walked forward he bumped into an equally tall figure wrapped in a simple hooded cloak. He had sharp grey eyes and dark hair that Eren could see was tied in a loose ponytail that hung over one shoulder. A bag was slung over his back as he corrected himself from the impact of running into Eren.

‘Watch where you’re going, huh brat?’ the figure asked, holding Eren’s elbow to stop him from falling over.

‘Yeah- sorry I just-,’ Eren trailed off defensively as the figure turned away, disappearing beyond the influx of players and NPCs that swarmed the center aisle.

Shaking his head, Eren headed toward the tower, quickly forgetting the man.

 

Outside City Limits

 

‘So just think of the motion and hold the thought, like a pause. You should feel the skill activate and then BAM!’ Eren’s blade sliced through the side of a tusked hog causing it to disintegrate in one swipe. ‘You next Armin!’

‘Uhhhh, I think I’ll watch Mikasa first,’ Armin shifted nervously, his short blade clutched tightly by his white knuckles as he held it away from his body at an awkward angle.

A grunt sounded as Mikasa paused before swiping through a second hog which also disappeared before them. Moments later they could see two hogs respawning some distance away, running and squealing further into the brush.

Eren accepted the Col that was offered with the killing of the hog, then showed Armin and Mikasa how to accept automatic Col deposits so they wouldn’t have to always stop while hunting. Saving his settings, Eren swiped the view screen away to turn to his sister and friend.

‘So what next? I can take you to this river with a killer view! There are all sorts of things we can collect on the way, and plenty more hogs and low level creatures we can kill! I can have you leveling up before any of the newbs still stuck in the village!’ Eren boasted.

‘Perks of having a guide who was a beta tester I guess,’ Armin grinned. ‘But isn’t using you kinda like cheating?’

‘Come on Armin,’ Eren scoffed good-naturedly. ‘I’m here so you might as well use me. Anyways Kayaba sent out extensive surveys to all 1,000 beta testers. He changed a lot of things on floor two and higher, he only kept this floor close to the original. Might as well get what we can so that we can start climbing floors! The beta testers didn’t even get past level 8 in the whole nine months that we were testing this thing! Supposedly he wrote code to manage how hard the bosses and monsters were based on the active players playing. So now with the population increasing by 10, I’m sure it will make boss fights both easier and harder! I can’t wait to get to the first dungeon!’

‘Easier and harder?’ Armin frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘Well with 1,000 beta testers and limited time we mostly stuck to solo work. Mapping terrain and gathering inventory. I’d pair up with a few people for mid-level raids and quests and maybe join a large group if anyone announced an attempt on a dungeon but apart from that I mostly trained alone. Now with so many people and the guild system opening up it will make it easier to do group operations in the dungeons. We should form our own party to share drops until we find a guild that we want to join,’ Eren explained.

‘Why not create our own guild?’ Mikasa asked, speaking for the first time in a while as she inspected her blade before replacing it in her sheath.

‘A lot of paperwork, plus starting fees, plus recruitment? I’ll pass,’ Eren turned to look at the sky, judging that it was nearly past 4 o’clock in the afternoon. ‘Let’s just wait to see what type of leadership pops up in the next few weeks before we make a decision.’

‘Did you make friends with any other betas in here,’ Armin was curiously staring at a purple feathered bird that was nesting within the branches of the tall oak beside their makeshift training ground.

‘I’m friendly with a few, but most people I spoke to said they were changing their avatars up with the new updates. I know names but they reset our friends lists; I won’t know them unless I bump into them again,’ Eren sighed. ‘Let’s break for dinner and come back for a quest!’

‘Dinner yes. Post-dinner quest no. I have a school paper to finish up, and you have homework you’ve been putting off too long Eren!’ Mikasa scolded.

‘You’ve barely been here for an hour!’ Eren exclaimed. ‘I waited in line for 48 hours to get you your own copy for your birthday!’

‘I’m only playing so you can show me what you do every minute of the day your not with me,’ Mikasa laughed. ‘I’m logging out now, I’ll see you tomorrow Armin! Don’t let Eren make you stay up all night playing!’

‘See ya, Mikasa!’ Eren smiled as his sister disappeared before turning to his best friend. ‘Let’s go get some bacon!’

Armin laughed cheerfully and followed Eren to a path leading further into the field.

 

~LATER~

 

Gasping as they cleared the last hog, Eren wiped his brow and turned to Armin.

‘It’s almost 8 now, we should log out and eat that dinner we keep putting off,’ Eren cracked his knuckles after sheathing his sword.

‘You mean the dinner _you_ kept putting off,’ Armin joked.

‘Yeah yeah,’ Eren swiped for his menu and dragged his finger to the settings. ‘Huh.’

‘What is it?’

‘They must have changed the login/logout button location. Where on earth did they move it to?’

 

_DONG! DONG! DONG!_

 

An ominous sound of bells echoed over the entire landscape, booming loudly in Armin and Eren’s ears.

‘That’s got to be from the **Town of Beginnings**!’ Eren exclaimed, then gasped as a sudden white light filled his vision.

Looking around and hearing the cacophony of thousands of voices, Eren found himself in the town square. Armin was no longer at his side, and he fought his way to the center where a large fountain sprayed a chilling mist into the air. Standing on the ledge, he looked for his friend, shouting Armin’s name into the chaotic mob.

‘Oi, brat, get down before you hurt yourself!’ A hand grabbed his elbow, yanking him down off the ledge. Eren gasped, landing on his ankle and wobbling in the arms of the man who had pulled him down. It was the same man who he had run into at the Bazaar, only his hood was down and his face somehow even more sullen and grim than before. The man forcefully turned Eren around so he could see the slowly forming figure towering over the square. A dome had formed, seemingly trapping all of the inhabitants within its boundary. Eren forgot about the stranger, and stood in awe at the giant figure that loomed before him that suddenly began to speak in a booming voice.

The voice of SAOs creator Akihiko Kayaba. The genius who had created this world. Who had trapped it’s inhabitants. Who was their captor. They were trapped within the games code with no way of leaving.

‘I’ve placed a present within the inventory of every player, please see for yourselves.’

Drop down menus appeared and a single object soon appeared within everyone's hands.

_A mirror?_

Soon a brilliant light filled the whole square as well as screams of players surrounding him. As the light faded Eren looked around, his immediate surroundings appearing different from his memory before.

‘EREN!’ a shout caused him to quickly turn to the voice of his friend Armin who ran to him and clung to his arms.

‘Armin! Thank god!’ Eren held his friend by the shoulders. ‘You look different, more you than you already were!’

‘Eren your eyes! They look just like they do in real life! You look just like you in real life!’

‘Shit!’ Eren turned to the voice of the man behind him. Wearing the same cloak and hood but dramatically changed. Gone was the height that matched Eren’s own and instead a figure that barely reached 5’ 5’’. The long hair was gone and replaced with a shorter cut that ended at razor sharp cheekbones. The steel grey eyes were the same, and ones that Eren suddenly recognized.

  
‘Eren, I think the mirrors turned everyone into what they look like in real life,’ Armin motioned towards several people that were now wearing ill fitting clothing. Boys wearing short sweater dresses who now pulled at the hem to cover themselves, chubbier and more rounded bodies straining against tight-fitted armor, and one young girl who was swimming in the overly large shirt and overalls that belonged to an avatar who had previously been a good five inches taller with thirty more pounds of muscle. It would have been comical in any another situation.

Eren quickly turned back to the hooded figure by the fountain only to find him gone. In the chaos of the sudden change, everyone was screaming and trying to understand what was going on even though to Eren it was clear.

‘We have to go,’ Eren grabbed Armin’s hand and dragged him to an alley exit.

‘ _Go?_ Where?’

‘The next town over. We need to get going before anyone else does! Resources are limited, especially this far down. We have to collect as much as we can so we can level up.’ Eren explained as he rapidly tugged his friend along.

‘You can’t still be thinking about this game!’

‘Listen to me Armin, this level only has a set amount of quests. Once those quests have been finished for the first time, you can only get basic rewards for finishing. Everyone is going to be competing; for food, for money, for the good weapons. It took 1,000 beta testers 8 weeks to get through the level one dungeon. Who knows how long it will take the guilds and other players to get organized in this chaos! We need to find resources to survive until the next floor can be opened. To level up and increase our stats so that we can survive! Who knows how much harder things will be! We need to live! Follow me and I will make sure that you are protected.’

‘Eren, you know me, I hardly ever play adventuring characters. I explore and I hone skills, but I’m not a fighting character! I’ll only slow you down!’

‘Armin listen to me! I know a path to the next village over. Very few monsters and the village is a safe zone. We will form a party and split everything. You stay behind me while I kill the monsters and you’ll level up quickly. I don’t care if you want to set up a shop or become an information gatherer, but either way you’ll need money and experience to start! So come with me before it's too late! I’ll protect you, I promise.’

Armin smiled weakly and inhaled deeply. ‘Okay Eren, I’ll follow you.’

Eren and Armin disappeared into the night.


	2. A Path, A Promise, A Purpose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (filler and character development)  
> Armin and Eren journey to Bezha, an outlying town, searching for exp, equipment, and gold. Eren makes a promise to Armin. Armin gets determined. They both eat soup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nezha is a character from the SOA universe who I have used as the name for the blade they wield. All item info comes from this link:  
> https://swordartonline.fandom.com/wiki/Items
> 
> I will use this repeatedly for reference. I have only watched the series, not read any of the manga so I will mostly use this reference to input non-anime names and etc to introduce new aspects to the game and story. 
> 
> I own nothing...
> 
> p.s. I will be using the word gold and the SAO word col interchangeably... sorry for the confusion... I was just going to use col but I'm sure I won't remember that all the time lol...

_If someone removes your Nerve Gear, you die._   
_If your health drops down to zero, you die._   
_There are no resurrections._

_If you die in the game- you die in real life._

_Day One: November 6, 2022_

Eren's sword moved in a frenzy as he slayed the last hog. His pickup feature quickly deposited his coins and the package of bacon that appeared as his rewards. A notification alerted Eren of a diverted portion going to Armin who stood behind him, desperately clutching his only blade.

‘Come on Armin,’ Eren panted and wiped his brow. ‘In a few days, it won’t be worth it to attack any of these hogs. We need to get everything we can before people begin to spread out.’

‘Why would time affect the hogs?’ Armin asked, hurrying to join Eren in a speedy jog down the path.

“We are farther out than a lot of others because we left the **Town of Beginnings** so quickly. These hogs are the lowest level of prey, designed to teach newbs the ropes. There are 150 hogs programmed to respawn on this level, they wouldn’t have bothered to change that from the beta test. Of those 150 hogs, there is one Golden Hog that drops a rare item, **Nezha** , a throwing blade that returns to you after you throw it. The **Golden Hog** has a territory somewhere on this level but only one person ever found it, so I’m guessing that's going to be taken soon. The **Golden Hog** doesn’t respawn though so there is only the one blade. As of the beta test not only is **Nezha** the only rare blade rewarded on this level apart from the boss fight, but it also has the highest reward apart from the boss fight. Not only that, but the 150 hogs only give this amount of money the first time they are slaughtered, the gold and experience they grant is halved with every kill until it reaches a base level of 15 EXP and 5 gold per kill. Once players get beyond level 10, it will take them forever to level with just those rewards.’

Eren paused and swiped up, prompting Armin to swipe and turn so there stats were comparable.

‘How come I can see your stats all of a sudden?’ Armin asked.

‘It’s a feature of those in a party together. We can see names but can’t view inventory, wallets, or any items unless they are equipped. You can't even see levels unless the player publicizes it or you sneak a look at their screen. It’s a privacy setting. Trust me you’ll be grateful for it soon. Apart from me, all anyone else can see is your name and guild affiliation. The green icon above your head shows that you have committed **PvP** ( **Player vs. Player** ) crime.’ Eren browsed and compared their progress. ‘Okay, you’re on track to make level 3 by the time we get to the next town. Sorry that most of the experience is going to me. You can customize experience drops only in dungeons, boss fights, and monster side quests- not for re-spawning monsters. They prioritize experience to be delivered to the one who lays killing blows otherwise, that's why I’m about to hit level 5 already,’ Eren explained apologetically.

‘If I could I’d give it all to you. I feel so worthless hanging back while you take care of everything,’ Armin looked down guiltily.

‘Armin,-’ Eren grabbed his friend's shoulders, forcing them face to face. ‘I’m going to protect you because you’re my friend. Because I’m going to need you to keep me sane. I promised to get you home- to Mikasa, to your grandfather, to the real world! I’m not going to leave you behind!’

Armin’s eyes welled with tears and his chin wobbled as he contained a sob. ‘Grandfather-! I’d forgotten-!’

‘Don’t worry about him. You know he is safe in the real world. Mikasa will take care of him, I promise! All you have to worry about is my back. And I’ll worry about yours. Okay?’ Eren reached a hand out.

Armin looked down at Eren’s hand before grasping it in his own.

‘Okay!’

**Town of Tolbana  
**

The town comically buzzed with activity as the NPCs carried on happily, oblivious to the fright of the players within the game.

Armin was unnerved at the peace here, Eren less so. So far it seemed, they were the first ones there.

‘Okay Armin, this entire town is a safe zone. As long as you don’t leave the gates, your health can’t be affected and it’s impossible for you to die.’

‘Can I just stay here forever then?’ Armin joked, but a serious look passed over his face as he squatted on the ground in exhaustion.

‘Hey,’ Eren placed his hand on Armin’s head. ‘Go to the **Happy Hostel** at the end of the road and get us a room. Ask for the cheapest option and prepay for two days and nights. Here- this should be enough for housing and food.’

‘Why are you giving me this?’ Armin asked. ‘Are you leaving!’

‘I have some errands to do, and I want to do a side quest nearby before its taken. People will be here by tomorrow morning and I don’t want it to be taken before I get up. You know I’m not a morning person.’

Armin’s face showed a slight hint of a smile before becoming serious. ‘I’m not letting you quest alone. It’s dark. We’re both tired.’

‘Are you really tired Armin?’

Armin looked puzzled before he replied, ‘You’re right. I’m not.’

‘That’s because this isn’t real. Your brain still needs sleep but your body doesn’t process pain and soreness the same way. You could probably march for miles or scale a mountain without actually feeling tired. You might pant and sweat, and your fighting stamina might go down but your avatar would still be capable of moving. I want you to go to the hostel and sleep. Eat a good meal when you wake up. Ask for the **Vitality Broth** at the counter. It adds a bonus health bar to your stats until you breach level 15. It will be handy tomorrow when I take you deeper into the forest.’

‘Can anyone order it or is it limited?’

‘Everyone can order it once as long as they are under level 15-’

‘Then before you leave you are drinking it,’

‘Armin I have to-’

‘No! Drink it or I’m coming with you. I’ll slow you down, and get attacked by a monster, and-’

‘Okay!’ Eren gave up with a sigh. ‘I’ll drink it before I go. But you are staying in town!’

 

~*~

 

After downing his soup and watching Armin down his as well Eren turned to his friend.

‘Here,’ Eren swiped his screen and an alert appeared before Armin.

‘Gold transfer?’ Armin’s eyes went wide.

‘Eren, this has to be everything that you’ve earned!’

‘Yep, in case I die or something it would be a waste.’ Eren held up his hand before Armin could protest. ‘Sorry, bad joke. But you’re better with money anyways. As soon as your up for it go to **Hairy Harry** at the end of the road. Bald guy; stationed at a market stall near the apothecary. Find me a clothing item that enhances dexterity, whatever his best item is. Kit yourself out to before the town gets visitors. I chose this town because Harry has the best stuff.’

‘ **Hairy Harry** is bald?’ the first genuine smile appeared on Armin’s face.

‘Yeah but tell him he looks handsome today. He gives discounts on boots if you do. Don’t worry about the money, what's important is to gear up. We will just get more col tomorrow.’

‘Okay.’ Armin nodded.

Eren turned to walk away, ‘I’ll be back tomorrow morning at the latest. If I don’t come back by then just wait for the crowds. Find a group, join up with a guild. Take care of yourself.’

‘I’m going to wait right here for you Eren. I know you’ll come back.’ Armin smiled determinedly at his friend.

Eren grinned before he turned away and took off down the road toward the town gates, exiting the town boundary.


	3. Close Encounters of a Fanboy Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren does a side quest, meets an enemy, and makes frienemies with his idol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100% not cannon. I own almost everything in this chapter. Except the names... and the universe... I basically only own the details...
> 
> https://www.quora.com/Why-does-everyone-call-Levi-Ackerman-Rivallie

_ Attention Beta Testers: On the official launch date of SAO, all friends lists and inventory will be cleared and stats reset. Profiles will be wiped entirely and you must create a new account after the wipe is completed at 1300 JST (Japanese Standard Time). Beta tester names will be reserved for the first twenty four hours of launch in case players decide to rename their avatars. _

_ Thank you for participating in the beta test for SAO. _

_ I look forward to seeing you in Aincrad. _

_ -Akihiko Kayaba _

_ Developer and Game Master of SAO _

_Night One: November 6, 2022_

Eren knew he should have been paying better attention. He knew that by now, somebody else must have gotten close to being as far out as he was. It was the reason he had left Armin in town in order to be the first one to finish the side quest. It was a simple enough quest in the beta version, dive to the bottom of seaweed lake and bring back a crystal ball that the **Wailing Nymph** had dropped. Return the crystal, turning **Wailing Nymph** into **Princess Nimue of the Tree People** and be granted the **Ash Bow of Orn**. Eren wasn’t much for long range weapons, but it would serve him in the dungeon fights, and he could give it to Armin later. It was a one of a kind item that could be upgraded to be Armin’s main weapon the further he leveled up if they could find a specialized weapon-smith.

The dive was easy, locating the crystal more so. In the pitch black of the night with the water being as dark as it was, as soon as Eren had dived close enough to the bottom the glow guided him to the crystal. He scooped it up and placed it within his inventory before ascending with a gasp. Breathing in deeply Eren shivered and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

‘Of course you would be here Yeager. You always did love showing off and stealing the best gear for yourself,’ sniped a voice at the embankment. Standing between Eren and his quest completion stood Kuradeel, a beta tester that Eren had headbutted with several times before.

‘How is it stealing if you put in the work?’ Eren sighed as he walked towards the shore. Water sloshed around him and sluiced down his legs. His boots squelched as he placed his foot in the mud.

Kuradeel raised his blade to the center of Eren’s chest, halting his progress. Eren froze, his eyes widened incredulously.

‘What are you doing? Be serious and stop,’ Eren made to move forward but stopped when Kuradeel’s arm remained firm, blade pressing its tip into his shirt.

‘What am I doing? Taking what I want, that’s what,’ Kuradeel sneered. ‘You stole the bow from under my nose last time, after all of that research, talking to NPCs and info gatherers about untapped quests. You still managed to get here before me during the beta test.’

‘Are you serious? I put in the work exploring the forest while everyone else was chasing clues for the **Golden Hog** on the other end of the map! It was luck! I found a girl crying and helped her! I didn’t know who she was!’ Eren shouted, defending himself. ‘By the time you found me I had the bow for two days! You can’t seriously-,’

‘SHUT UP!’ Kuradeel roared. ‘The bow is mine! Now! When it counts! Give me the crystal!’

Eren sighed.

‘You think I could find anything in that water? It’s dark and cold and I couldn’t see my hands let alone a crystal ball!’

‘You LIE!’ Kuradeel sneered and pressed the tip of his blade harder to Eren’s sternum. ‘Show me your inventory!’

‘Privacy settings prevent-’

‘I know you have the damn thing! If you don’t give it to me I’ll make you drop it!’ Kuradeel threatened.

Eren froze, eyes wide. To drop an item unwillingly? The only way that happened-.

‘Are you seriously going to become a **Player Killer**? Because you think I have something?’ The thought of dying made the blood rush from Eren’s face. He had never pictured people turning on other people, not this soon into the game. ‘You’d be a murderer! This is life and death now!’

‘Don’t you think I know that! That’s why I need the bow! Give me the crystal. Give me your gold. Give it all to me and I’ll let you off this once!’ Kuradeel demanded.

‘Are you crazy-’ Eren took a step back as Kuradeel swung his sword in a wild arc.

‘You brat! You’ve asked for it! You’re not leaving this lake without giving me that orb. And if that means that I have to deal with a little ‘red’ cursor by my name for a few days,’ Kuradeel shouted as he advanced wildly forward. He swung his sword like a mad man. No rhythm or skill, just wild hacks as he backed Eren further away from the **Wailing Nymph**.

Eren stayed in the shallows for maneuverability as he barely managed to stay out of reach. Unable to take his eyes away from Kuradeel to equip a weapon made avoidance his only option. If he left the lake or the clearing without returning the crystal to the **Wailing Nymph** , she would disappear and along with it, the chances of receiving the bow.

‘You’re insane!’

‘GIVE IT TO ME YEAGER! GIVE ME THE CRYSTAL! GIVE ME WHAT’S MINE-!’ Kuradeel stopped mid strike. His name and icon shimmered as Eren heard a whoosh of a curved blade flying through the air, the moons light glinted off of a blade for the briefest of moments before it’s movements became silent.

Eren was frozen in fear as Kuradeel burst into a shower of metallic flakes. A pack of his belongings dropped to the ground, splattering mud as it landed in a puddle.

‘Tch-’ came a sound at the tree line. ‘Of course it falls in the mud.

Eren quickly turned to the figure now moving into the dim light of the moon.

_It's Levi! Famous player on the online streams; known for his quick keystroke speed and rapid response. A recluse who has only ever played in online tournaments under a blacked out screen! When the list of sponsored Beta testers for SAO was released the only picture he had with his profile was his avatar… this is him! I saw his transformation in the **Town of Beginnings**! This is Levi!_

Eren looked in awe at the figure as it halted a few steps from him.

‘Close your mouth before the flies come, brat.’

Eren snapped his mouth shut, only to open it once again to stutter out. ‘Levi-!’

Keen eyes sharply focused on Eren and the shorter mans hand tightened on the pommel of his blade.

‘Tch! Don’t know what you’re talking about kid.’ The man said dismissively as he sheathed his sword and knelt to accept the remnants of Kuradeel’s inventory.

‘I’ll be taking this; after all, I saved your sorry life. I’ll have to live with a bit of red on my name for a few days so I’ll need supplies to avoid other players. I’d hate to make a name as the first **Player Killer** in history. We're gonna be stuck here for a long time, not the most pleasant first impression to give someone.’ Levi’s tone was disinterested and dissociated from the thoughts racing in Eren’s brain.

‘Oh my god- you- I-,’ Eren began.

‘I saved your life from a crazy player who night one was already cracking to the point where he was ready to kill another person. This is real life now kid. Don’t hesitate next time. It’s never wrong to defend yourself.’

‘But he’s-,’

‘Dead as a door-nail. The correct response though would be thank you, Rivaille.’

Eren started at the name before finally focusing on the smaller man.

‘Rivaille? But you’re Levi! I saw your avatar change at the **Town of Beginnings**! You-,’

‘I’m gonna stop you there kid,’ Levi’s eyes grew hard and his face grew stonier than it’s blank expression already was. ‘The name’s Rivaille, not Levi. I’m not a beta tester. I’m not a famous gamer. If you want to pay me back for saving your life, then do me a favor. Call me by my name here. Don’t make trouble for me and I won’t make trouble for you.’

‘But-! Why would you change your name! Your handle is so respected in the community. I never-’

‘Tch. Don’t you have something that belongs to someone?’

Eren stopped talking, his hand twitching towards his pocket.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, not-Levi.’ Eren responded petulantly.

‘Tch. I wouldn’t steal it from you. I’d never try to steal something that an idiot like you seems so ready to commit suicide over. Keep the bow. Next time, don’t do stupid stunts like this alone.’ Levi turned to melt back into the woods.

‘Wait-!’

But not-Levi was already gone.


	4. Swish Swish Clang Clang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin and Eren meet familiar faces in the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Googling! First to get the reference of the chapter title gets to name a secondary character... I promise they won't become a Red Shirt (Star Trek death fodder) and they will make recurring appearances!

_SAO is organized and managed by the revolutionary Cardinal System which generates side quests based on folklore and legends of the world with its Automatic Quest Generation Function. An infinite amount of quests and events can be created, potentially even an ‘end of the world’ or ‘terrain changing event’. The Cardinal System is authorized to have complete control over Aincrad as it sees fit to encourage game play and stimulating world building for its players._

 

_Day 2: November 7, 2022_

 

Eren collected the practice arrows after Armin fired the last one. The **Ash Bow of Orn** was a good sturdy weapon, both customizable and upgradable. It would serve Armin well as a distance fighter; Armin was grateful for the excuse of distance as well, he was still anxious fighting even the weakest prey.

‘You’re getting better,’ Eren huffed as he skidded to a stop by his friend, holding out the arrows. ‘Once you feel confidant, maybe we can find a wolf den or something. Level you up so we can raise your agility.’

‘I don’t know Eren-’

‘Relax Armin. During the beta test there was a gully that led down to a wolf den. You can take high ground while I lure them out. You can get watch my back and take care of them at the last minute, that way you get the EXP bonus.’

With Armin at level 5, a few more hogs would easily boost him to level seven. With Eren now at level 7, they could afford to take on a wolf pack.

Eren turned to look at his friend, noticing his quiet nervousness that settled over his face and demeanor.

‘Armin-,’ His friend startled and met his gaze. 

‘Armin just stick to my side a bit longer. Let me grind up as many levels as possible till all you have to do is just stay in my party to level up. I’ll level you up and take you with me as far as I can until you can open a shop or become an info broker in a town of your choice. You’ll never have to leave a safe zone. But you can’t get there without leveling a bit first. And I’m not leaving you anywhere if you can’t defend yourself.’

Armin smiled weakly at his friend, ‘Sorry Eren, I’m just a bit overwhelmed. Let’s keep moving along. Let’s clear that den.’

Armin opened his inventory, switching his practice arrows for real ones, ones that dealt higher damage with less durability. These arrows were meant for combat, not target practice.

Eren smiled, ‘Let’s go then!’

 

~*~

 

It was the sounds of screams that reached them first, followed by the howls and snarls of wolves. Eren and Armin quickly put on a burst of speed and came upon a group of players already engaged with the wolves. The players were in various stages of combat with no apparent leader. Unfortunately, compared to the beta test, Eren noticed there were many more wolves than previously, and the Alpha was much larger than the other members of his pack.

Armin and Eren jumped into the fray too late to save a mousy haired boy who was already caught in the jaws of a wolf. The player shattered into a shimmering pile of dust between the wolf's jaws. Three players remained with varying gear and weapons; a horsey faced boy with buckler and long sword, another boy with a shaved head who wielded a flail on an extended chain, and a brown haired girl with a bow.

Armin took a position further back, easily striking wolf after wolf. A blessing of the game was it took in the real life skills of its players, recognizing good hand eye coordination and natural talent. Armin wasn’t much of an athlete, but he was a member of his school archery team. The practice he had done earlier that morning had already accommodated him to the weight and pull of his new bow, he didn’t miss a shot.

The three players shouted, grateful at the newcomers who came to their aid as Eren burst to the front line, twirling his sword in a flurry of movement. He quickly overcame two wolves, encouraging the three players who regrouped and joined him to surround the last wolf standing, the Alpha.

Eren shouted commands that the scared but determined players followed. Switching out from close to mid range combat players, all while Armin and the female bowman attacked vulnerable soft targets when the belly was exposed. The shaved head boy used his flail to stun the wolf after a shot from the girl between the ribs caused it to stumble. Eren and the other swordsman charged forward slicing it lengthwise on either side till it dropped to the ground and disappeared in a halo of shimmering dust.

The party was quiet even when the banner appeared listing the col and EXP granted to each player. ‘ _Congratulations_ ’ flashed above them but Eren was quiet at the solemn look of the group.

‘Poor Franz,’ sighed the boy holding the buckler and longsword. ‘Only knew him for a day, but he was a good kid.’

‘He’s dead! Dead! Gone forever dead!’ the girl shouted in near hysterics while the boy wielding the flail went to console her.

‘Jean, maybe be a bit more understanding. Franz was a party member after all,’ the other boy responded.

The horse faced boy, Jean, sighed. 

‘Sorry Sasha. Sorry Connie. I am sad,’ Jean’s face turned serious as he turned to face Eren.

‘I’m Jean, I’m a swordsman who specializes in strength attacks. Sasha is our bowman and hunter, and Connie over there is a bit of a jack of all trades-’ Jean paused and seemed to be pained. ‘Thank you for saving us. The three of us probably wouldn’t have been able to disengage from a pack this size without having to split up.’

Eren extended his hand and shook Jean’s. He smiled grimly.

‘It’s not a problem. I’m Eren, a swordsman who prefers agility and speed attacks. Armin is new to VR games, but he was an archer for our schools team and they went to nationals last year,’ Eren explained as Armin picked his way down the gully to join them.

‘Let’s see if there is anything inside the den worth taking, you never know.’

Jean and the others nodded, keeping their weapons equipped on the off chance that another wolf lay waiting inside. As they made their way through the entryway, an immature growl was heard from within. The girl, Sasha, threw a piece of meat that she had seemingly pulled from thin air towards the wolf before shouting.

‘Back, get back!’

‘Ouch Sasha,’ Connie hollered due to the fact that she had grabbed his collar and choked him pulling him back.

‘We need to draw the animal out of the cave, who knows how many more of them there are!’ Sasha explained as the five members retreated back into the sunlight and stood ready for an attack.

The growling stopped and sniffing was heard, growing louder before the sound of munching and whining grew closer.

A young grey wolf, not a cub nor full grown appeared at the entryway. Instead of a red icon indicating an enemy, a yellow icon flickered over its head. Sasha leaned forward to interact with the creature who sniffed her hand before giving it a lick.

‘What-,’ Jean began.

‘She must be a Beast Tamer!’ Eren exclaimed.

‘Is Beast Taming even a thing in SAO?’ Connie asked, still wary of the wolf but unable to deny the wolf’s icon indication.

‘No one did it during the beta testing, but then again no one got past level 8 or even cleared the entire floor. Everyone was too busy trying to get to the next level,’ Eren explained.

‘So is he going to follow me or something?’ Sasha asked.

‘Most familiars stick with you until your disloyal. Don’t abuse him and keep him fed and he should stick with you. He should even be allowed within the city limits as long as you guys are on good terms,’ Eren explained.

‘Wow Sasha! I think that means you’re the first Beast Tamer of SAO!’ Connie cheered.

Sasha sighed heavy. ‘He’s cute and all but-’

‘What is it Sasha,’ Jean asked. ‘You’ve got a wolf! That’s so cool!’

‘But, I’ll have to share my delicious meat!’ Sasha’s eyes were wide and her lips pouted.

 

~*~

 

The five players traveled together, forming a temporary party and hunting boar and wolves and leveling throughout the day. They decided to camp out to save their money and have someone take watch for defense. Sasha, who apparently hunted quite a bit set up snares for prey as well as several traps that would snare and hinder larger creatures that wandered to close to their fire. The wolf, dubbed Pina by Sasha slept by her side as the five talked into the night.

While most players considered it rude to talk and ask questions about the real world while in the game, the uncertain future and forced camaraderie encouraged them to share.

Connie was from California, and he was an undergraduate college student who happened to log in to his brothers game during a weekend visit home. His brother, who was still in high school, was the one who was supposed to be stuck in this game.

‘My mom sent him to my grandmother’s house because I was too lazy to help her rake her lawn. I lied that I was sick and slipped on my brothers gear while he was gone. I made my own profile under his account.’

‘He didn’t even change his name! Connie is just a nickname for-’ Sasha mumbled after Connie slapped his hand over her mouth.

‘Yes, Connie is my real name not an avatar. Sasha it’s rude to-’

‘CORNELIUS!’ Sasha shouted so loudly that Pina startled awake.

Everyone burst into laughter as Connie blushed.

‘It’s a family name!’ Connie defended.

‘I’m Sasha, my grandmother is friends with Connie’s and I go to the same school with Connie’s brother. At least being stuck in SAO means I don’t have to go to class for a bit.’

‘Way to look on the bright side,’ grumbled Connie. ‘It’s not like your terrible grades will even notice you’re away- OUCH!’ 

Connie rubbed his shoulder where Sasha had swatted him.

‘I’m Jean. I met these two in the **Town of Beginnings** at a bulletin that was set up looking for party members. We were already grouped together before the announcement in the plaza so we just stuck together. My parents run a horse ranch in Tennessee.’

‘Horses huh-’ Eren not so subtly joked before Armin hit im on the leg as a warning.

‘I’m Armin. Me and Eren know each other from the real world too,’ Armin explained quickly to cover Eren’s jibe. ‘We are both in undergrad at the University of Berlin.’

‘Berlin! Wow! I wonder how many other people from other countries there are here,’ Connie exclaimed.

‘Well, they released the game in Europe and the Americas but I heard a few limited copies were sold in Asia, mostly to high ranked VR MMORPG players who were selected and invited by the creator, Kayaba is Japanese so I think most of them were from Japan. But I haven’t met any of them,’ Eren thought aloud.

‘Most of the Japanese players were beta testers,’ Jean carefully hedged. ‘Were you one Eren? You really seem to know what you're doing with those wolves.’

Eren sighed, realizing he had given himself away.

‘Yeah, I was a part of the beta test. I won a drawing from a VR MMORPG club, I must have put my name in there a thousand times. When the game came out in Berlin, Armin and I waited in line so we could both get copies. My sister was with us but she logged out before we were summoned to the **Town of Beginnings**. I don’t know how she got out, but it must have been before Kayaba could lock the system down. She didn’t stay for long and I think she logged out before the game servers in America opened up. It’s the only way I can explain on how she was able to log out before the system got locked. I’m just grateful that she’s not here. I can’t imagine what it would do to my parents if both of us were stuck here.’

The party was quiet and solemn in support of Eren’s speech.

‘So- your sister,’ Jean began. ‘Is she pretty?’

Connie and Sasha laughed at the humorous change of mood. Eren blustered while Armin held him back.


	5. Chapter 5

_ Once a player has completed the Guild Quest on the 3rd Floor, the player may go to the bulletin board in Zumfut to open and post their guild. Guild members will all have access to Guild Storage where items such as potions and materials can be shared with other members. Guild members can track and send messages to other guild members as long as they or the member in question are both outside of dungeons. Guild Leaders can customize their Guild Emblem which will appear on members top left interface along with the players name and Hit Point bar. When guild members are also in the same party, they receive a slight increase in their stats. _

_ Money earned during membership is taxed and the taxable portion is sent to the guild’s vault; only the Guild Leader, Vice Commander, and Treasurer have access to these funds. _

 

_ Day 27: December 3, 2022 _

The Medai Forest on Level 1

 

Their newfound friends had settled in smoothly with Eren and Armin, working efficiently and quickly clearing monsters and sharing funds. As hesitant as Eren had been about joining with unknowns in this death game, Connie and Sasha’s friendly manner set him at ease; even Jean wasn’t bad company when they sat down for dinner together.

Time had quickly passed and Eren surprised himself by waking up one morning to the rising sun with a smile before his brain chastised him.

_ ‘How can I be happy, stuck here in this game? I’m responsible for these people- for Armin. This game may be beautiful, but it’s deadly.’ _

Eren shook his head to clear his sleepiness and stood to stretch. His party members were all asleep with the exception of Connie who had last watch.

‘Oi, Eren. Sleep well?’

‘Fine enough,’ Eren commented, continuing to stretch before a golden exclamation mark caught the corner of his eye.

‘That’s a system wide message sent by some player named Erwin. I’ve been waiting for you to wake up since it came in an hour ago!’ Connie rose to his feet off of the stump he had been resting on. ‘They found the first boss room finally!’

Eren’s eyes widened at the news. His group was filled with solid players, but they had only managed two outings into the Level 1 Dungeon, the first to get a feel of the monsters within and the second to get the players leveled up. At this point, it was near impossible to level up from the respawned monsters that filled the forests outside of the towns. Eren and his party had leveled enough that camping out at night no longer worried him. The creatures weren’t to be feared by anyone in his group. Players on the other hand- Eren had already heard stories during trips to town about players attacking other players, forming gang like groups and attacking weaker players for gold and items. Though no deaths had been outright attributed to these groups, Eren knew it was because despite the limited land, it was easy to hide evidence when dead bodies disappeared into dust courtesy of the Aincrad System Software.

Eren and Jean were both now about to hit level 9, and would likely level up by the end of the day if they had another day like yesterday. Connie had hit level 7 just two days ago and Sasha and Armin would soon join him there. Eren had done his best to advise them on where to place their attribute points and they had managed to gain enough gold to purchase a few attribute enhancement crystals that they had loaded on to Connie. As distance fighters, Armin and Sasha had more protection than the vanguard, and Connie was the only replacement for Jean or Eren if one had to fall back for a healing.

The other members were waking up slowly as Eren scanned the message. It had become a habit for Armin to wake up and walk with Jean to the nearest stream to refill their water skins. Sasha was a heavy sleeper however, and all she could manage to do in the morning sometimes was to sit upright and wipe the drool from her face. Connie ruffled her hair in a playfully aggressive way to wake her up before shoving a roll into her yawning mouth, her eyes shot open quickly as she woke up to his gift.

As the members all returned and sat down for a breakfast of rolls and apples that Armin had collected and distributed, Eren read the message aloud.

 

_ Players of SAO, _

_ Yesterday, my party of seven members found the location to the Boss Room in the Level 1 Dungeon. We are asking all strong players or parties to report to the village of  _ **_Tolbana_ ** _ today at 1600 to discuss tactics and party formation so we may attempt this Boss together. _

_ Please join us at this meeting so we can clear this floor and all go home. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Commander Erwin, German Army Intelligence _

 

‘Sounds like a party,’ Jean replied, swallowing the last of his roll and rising to dust his hands clean on his trousers. ‘We’re going, right?’

‘As long as everyone here wants to,’ Eren replied glancing at his group.

‘Well- it can’t hurt to get the information. And if we go in to the dungeon as a large group we are much more likely to survive. I say we go.’ Armin stood to join Jean and Eren waiting for Connie and Sasha.

‘Heck- as long as we don’t volunteer for any suicidal runs I’m good to go,’ Connie replied, hauling Sasha up by her arm. ‘She is too- she’s just more worried about losing crumbs from the roll she just inhaled to reply.’

Sasha gulped audibly and smiled.

‘Alright then party- let’s head to  **Tolbana** . We can make it there early and scout out other players.’

Banking the fire and grabbing their belongings, the party began their walk.

 

~*~

 

The Village of  **Tolbana**

 

Eren’s group arrived early in town enough for them to split in order to visit shops and wander around town. Eren hadn’t been back since guiding Sasha, Connie, and Jean to the  **Happy Hostel** to get their own  **Vitality Broth** . His new friends quickly became grateful for the inside knowledge Eren shared with them. Soon, everyone knew about the broth and quickly discovered a hidden limit of only 50 bowls granted per day. Everyone in Eren’s party had already had their bowl when reports of long lines and several in town duels over who was first in line broke out.

The reason for the leak had surprisingly been the free availability of guidebook that appeared in every NPC store within the major towns. The book held tips for leveling and locations for respawning quests as well as information on cool-down limits for repeatable quests. The info was a treasure trove for all of the players who hadn’t taken part in the beta testing, although even Eren was surprised to learn of a few quests that he hadn’t even done until after the guidebook was released. Whoever had written the guidebook was clearly a beta tester.

Beta testers still had a bad rap within the game, a lot of players grumbled that they had an unfair advantage and sought to find out who the 1000 beta testers were. They complained of stockpiling of resources and inside information that allowed the beta testers to level faster than the players who hadn’t been a part of the test. Eren was very grateful that his friends had taken to his announcement calmly enough to appreciate the information he gave them.

Despite not having access to view players levels without being in their guild, Eren was confident that his group probably had high levels comparative to other players who were sitting in the arena. Clusters and single players sat dispersed on the stone seats of the amphitheater. A tall blond man with broad shoulders and thick eyebrows stood surveying the gathered players. Eren had arrived early and sat his group against a back wall with a good view of the other seats. He had observed the player, Erwin, from his position and quietly viewed his group who were standing at various levels of attention behind him.

**‘** Think he really is military in real life or is that just a front?’ Jean whispered so only his group could hear.

**‘** Not sure, but I do remember the name. Erwin was the player who defeated the first Boss during the beta test. His raid party only had seven people so I’m guessing the people behind them were beta testers too,’ Eren commented.

‘Wow, so many beta testers in one spot. Pretty ballsy in this climate,’ Jean whistled.

‘Greetings players, my name is Erwin. I know it is considered improper to discuss the outside world normally but these are not normal circumstances. I am a Commander in the German Army and these players you see behind me are all people I know and trust. When we reach level 3, I will be establishing a guild for players dedicated to clearing the floors. I hope this first meeting will allow us to get to know each other and maybe encourage you to join us. We will be looking for all talents to join us in our quest to clear all 100 floors.’

A polite applause sounded in the amphitheater at the man’s speech.

‘Army or not he seems to know what he’s doing,’ Connie whispered.

Before Eren could reply a shout came from across the theater.

‘Are you one of those damn beta testers? One of those players who abandoned everyone in the  **Town of Beginnings** to fend for themselves and just left players to die!’

From Eren’s position, he couldn’t see the name or figure of the shouting player, but he did see the figure to the side when he spoke in rebuttal to the man.

‘Tch- they say don’t bite the hand that feeds you, yet you sure have no gratitude for what the beta testers have done for you.’ There was silence and confusion from many of the surrounding players except both Erwin and Eren’s group. As people erupted in whispers around them and the figure scanned the crowd Eren felt the gaze of Rivaille lock on his group who seemed to be the only calm figures apart from those who stood on the center stage.

‘It was the beta testers who wrote that guidebook and put in in all of the major towns. The guidebook lists all the sites that renew quests and events for players. Granted, players ran off left you newbs in the dust, but beta testers earned their inside information. Pretty soon it won’t even matter though. The beta test never extended past level 8. Once we’ve gone past that the field will be completely even. Don’t blame others if you can’t keep up. And if you can’t keep up then just buy a house at the  **Town of Beginnings** and wait for the real players to get you home,’ Rivaille replied.

A sputtering was heard from the crowd before Erwin seized the attention again.

‘Players! What’s important now is to organize ourselves for the first Boss fight. It was my group that cleared the Boss during the beta test. It was a hard battle, one that nearly killed the group. I am certain as with most of the changes since the beta test that the Boss will be even harder to kill this time around. We must be organized and have a clear understanding of the attack patterns before we attempt a dungeon raid.’

Erwin quickly gained control of the crowd organizing groups and delegating positions based on group dynamics. The people who had arrived in parties formed behind Erwin’s squad who would be the vanguard, groups formed at the meeting would provide distance and reserve support.

Tomorrow they would enter together and clear both the dungeon and the Boss room.

Maybe this time tomorrow they would be celebrating on a new floor, in a new town, one step closer to home.


End file.
